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State announces plans to consolidate workforce investment boards

Date:

GOVERNOR’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE

CARSON CITY –The state Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation today outlined how the state will redirect $5 million in federal funding annually toward improving training and helping more jobseekers with employment-related services in a new document, “Moving Nevada Forward: A Plan For Excellence in Workforce Development.” This effort will consolidate three boards into one.

Currently, funding is provided from the federal government to the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board and funneled to two local boards (one in Northern Nevada and one in Southern Nevada) that contract with public and private organizations to offer workforce training programs to youth and adult and dislocated workers. A recent audit of this system revealed that too many federal dollars are lost to administrative and duplicative costs.

“I have charged everyone in my administration with looking closely at the functions of their offices, boards and commissions to eliminate duplications and streamline services with the goal of leveraging resources already available and trimming unnecessary overhead,” Governor Sandoval said. “This new plan calls for greater collaboration between workforce development and the newly restructured Governor’s Office Economic Development, which earlier this year released its plan under the ‘Moving Nevada Forward’ label as well. A key area of focus for my administration is building the type of trained workforce that will support economic diversification.”

Currently, the three boards that have oversight of workforce development and training for Nevada include the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board, Nevada Works serving Northern Nevada and Workforce Connections, serving Southern Nevada. Under the consolidation plan, the Governor’s Workforce Investment Board will remain and will maintain oversight of planning and implementation of service as outlined by the Workforce Investment Act.

Organizations currently contracted as service providers to citizens for workforce needs will continue in the same capacity, but will be managed by DETR staff instead of the Northern and Southern board offices. Federal funding designated for each of the local workforce investment areas will remain unchanged; no geographic area of the state gains or loses under the reorganization and existing providers can remain in place if they are delivering the appropriate level of service to the end-user.

“This new plan will result in a significant amount of funds being spent directly for much-needed services, as we are essentially removing an administrative layer of expense,” DETR Director Frank R. Woodbeck said. “Administrative functions would be moved to DETR and community service providers will continue to deliver direct services to jobseekers.”

The restructuring is expected to be complete by December 2012.

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